Published 10:00 pm, Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Problem-Solving With Design Thinking is a book for managers who need help to effectively problem solve. However, anyone who is interested in how to problem-solve effectively will also be interested in reading the book as well.

Design thinking involves a few key attributes. First, it emphasizes the importance of discovery in advance of solution generation, using empathetic and user-driven market research approaches. Second, it expands the boundaries of both our problem definitions and solutions. Third, it is enthusiastic about engaging partners in co-creation. And lastly, it is committed to conducting real-world experiments rather than using historical data.

The point of the book is to offer a blueprint for deploying design thinking across levels and functions in order to embed a more creative approach to problem-solving as a strategic capability in organizations. Design thinking fosters creative problem solving. Design thinking works in that it produces new and better ways of creatively solving a host of organizational problems.

Design thinking consists of a process that asks four key questions: "What is?", "What if?", "What vows?", and "What works?" When asking these questions, managers are trying to make an accurate assessment of what is going on right now, identify patterns and insights, translate these insights and patterns into specific design criteria, and use a series of questions to help think outside the box. Also, the manager winnows the field of concepts to a manageable number, looking for those who hit the mark, and try out a prototype with actual users to see if it really works. That is the design process at work.

Design involves developing new behaviors, and that means that it doesn't come naturally to managers. They must learn it in order to choose it. However, it is possible to teach managers to think more creatively, and this is what this book does beautifully.